Logan Health’s Sarah Wohlwend, RN, Pediatric and PICU Staff Development Educator, has been recognized as the Montana Child Passenger Safety Technician (CPST) of the Year, a statewide honor that celebrates exceptional leadership, advocacy, education, and service in child passenger safety.
The award recognizes Sarah’s dedication to strengthening child passenger safety education for families, expanding technician training opportunities, and building partnerships that improve the safety of children throughout northwest Montana.
“I was pretty shocked,” Sarah said when she learned she had received the award. “I was not expecting anything like that at all.”
While the award recognizes Sarah’s individual contributions, she is quick to credit the many people who have helped make Logan Health’s child passenger safety program successful. A key partner has been the Flathead City-County Health Department and Child Passenger Safety Instructor, Wendy Olson, who has worked closely with Logan Health to build and grow the program.
“Wendy has been really instrumental in helping us get a program started here at Logan Health and has been incredibly supportive of us,” Sarah said.
As the leader of Logan Health’s Child Passenger Safety Work Group, Sarah coordinates quarterly meetings, provides ongoing education for certified technicians, and supports staff throughout the organization. Her efforts have helped expand child passenger safety knowledge among pediatrics, PICU, NICU, emergency department, OB, and clinic staff, ensuring families receive accurate guidance when transporting children safely.
The program’s impact extends beyond the hospital walls. Sarah and fellow technicians regularly participate in community car seat checkup events, helping families identify installation errors and ensuring children are properly secured while traveling.
“Car seats need to be checked even when you think you have them installed correctly,” Sarah said. “A lot of times there are mistakes that we find. We’re here to help, and we want to help people. We just want to make sure our passengers, especially our little kids, are safe when they go out into our community.”
The program continues to grow. Logan Health will host another Child Passenger Safety Technician certification class later this month, with four additional Logan Health employees expected to join the technician team. Sarah and her colleagues are also expanding outreach efforts to clinics, with a current focus on prenatal seat belt safety education for expectant mothers.
For Sarah, the recognition reflects a shared commitment among healthcare professionals, community partners, and technicians who work together to improve child safety across the region. Through education, outreach, and collaboration, they are helping ensure more Montana children travel safely every day.
Please join us in congratulating Sarah on this well-deserved statewide recognition and thanking her for the lasting impact she continues to make for Logan Health families, staff, and communities throughout Montana.